Prevalence of uveitis: a retrospective study

Uveitis is commonly seen in optometric practice, and anterior uveitis accounts for more than 75% of all uveitis. Uveitis may be the initial manifestation of an associated systemic disease process; and, with proper testing and diagnosis, the patient's ocular and systemic condition may be more effectively treated.

Retrospectively, 194 charts from a referral practice with a general diagnosis of uveitis, retinitis, or chorioretinal scar were reviewed to determine medical history, clinical findings, tests performed, and specific diagnoses obtained.

The majority of cases, 87.6%, were anterior uveitis with more than half, 54.7%, presenting with undetermined etiology. Trauma was the cause of the next most common group of anterior uveitis patients, 21.8%, and accounted for 19.1% of all uveitis cases. Glaucomatocyclitic crisis was seen in 8 cases, 4.1%, while there were 7 patients with sarcoid disease, and 5 with ankylosing spondylitis or systemic lupus erythematosus. Posterior uveitis was the principle finding in 12.4% of cases with ocular histoplasmosis being most common. There were 4 cases of toxoplasmosis and 3 cases of pars planitis.

Utilization of laboratory testing proved to be most valuable in the treatment and management of uveitis. Although there were fewer cases of pars planitis reported in our study in comparison to previous reports, the mix of cases of uveitis in our study was comparable to the work of others in the field. Accurate diagnosis of these cases is quite important since the treatment and prognosis for recovery is variable and different with its associated diseases.